Maroon morons rule Minnesota

Five cars went up in smoke, including one from a TV station covering the story.

Reporters said emergency workers were pelted with rocks, bottles and chunks of concrete.

Storefronts were smashed.

Police in riot gear restored order.

No, this isn't Baghdad. It's the campus of the University of Minnesota, which fortunately (or unfortunately) won a second straight NCAA hockey title this weekend. Celebrants decided the best way to honor a long, grueling season of collegiate hockey was to act like a gang of ECHL enforcers.

Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

Plain and simple: You take part in this kind of mess, you're a moron.

SO SILLY: Japanese voters elected a masked professional wrestler known as "The Great Sasuke" in a local assembly election. What has this world come to? Americans would never elect a flamboyant, outspoken wrestler to public office.

SO CLOSE: With John Paxson as the Bulls GM, it's OK to admit you kind of wished Bobby Hansen would have had at least an interview.

SOAP OPERA: While committed to Illinois, prep recruit Charlie Villanueva said he'd wait to see if Kansas coach Roy Williams goes to North Carolina, as Williams did Monday evening. Why? Because the open Kansas job would be appealing to Illinois coach Bill Self. Meanwhile, Erica is hesitant to commit to a relationship with Jack because if that relationship were to fail, Erica would lose Jack. And what about Brooke? She still views Edmund as a friend, but Mia tells Liza that she and Edmund decided to stop seeing each other too.

Tune in next time.

PAY ATTENTION: Please, do not be the person who only follows Olympic curling. Thank you. Canada beat Switzerland 10-6 at the world men's curling championships. That's the Great White North's 28th title. Norway won bronze.

BLEW IT: Vijay Singh finished sixth at the Masters instead of second as predicted here last week. What's the difference? Try $439,500.

FEEL-GOOD MOMENT: Goaltender Ginny Capicchioni became the first woman to compete in the men's National Lacrosse League this weekend. These kinds of stories (Annika Sorenstam in a PGA event, Hayley Wickenheiser playing men's hockey in Finland) make sports fun.

THEN THERE'S DETROIT: Having seen his team open 0-9 for the second straight season, the Tigers' Carlos Pena said the players would keep their heads held high even if they went 0-for-162. The fact that this had even crossed his mind is a little scary.